Clamping brackets for a rack structure



Aug. 15, 1967 D.'FRAZ|ER LAMPING BRACKETS FOR A RACK STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 23, 1965 R WY 0 3 WWW 2 0 V T .m m WM wv MB 0 0 FIG. 2

FIG.

United States Patent 3,335,992 CLAMPING BRACKETS FOR A RACK STRUCTURE Donald Frazier, RD. 1, Mendham Road, Far Hills, NJ. 07931 Filed Nov. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 509,380 Claims. (Cl. 248245) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Clamping brackets clamped to a rack arranged in pairs with opposing vertical channels fitting vertical flanges on a support, and horizontal channels on the clamping brackets receiving horizontal supports.

This invention relates generally to racks, and more particularly to racks having specially devised brackets performing the dual function of supporting horizontal arms, and also adjusting their height. A rack according to the present invention is:

( l) Readily adjustable as to heights;

(2) Permits the application of a plurality of superposed arms without the necessity of removing arms or slipping them over the top;

(3) Provides rigid stationing, and easy adjustment of arms either upwardly or downwardly;

(4) Uses standard steel fabricated parts in the interest of attaining low cost, and constant availability of parts;

(5) Can support great weight;

(6) Can be setup and demounted with ease, and shipped with ease;

(7) Can be setup as a duplex rack, i.e., with arms extending both forward and rearward;

('8) Provides pairs of complementary brackets of great strength and ease of adjustment.

These objects and advantages, as well as other objects and advantages may be attained by way of illustration in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the outer face of one of a pair of brackets;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the outer face of the other of a pair of complementary brackets, and same being the mirror image of the one shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the inner face of the bracket shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view of the inner face of the bracket shown in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a view of a portion of a rack assembled with cantilever arms by the use of the brackets.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a cantilevered rack 10 is provided, having a base '11 consisting of a pair of channels conected together at one end by a suitable member 12. At the other end, the base 11 is connected to a vertical member 13. While it is shown that this vertical member 13 is an I-beam, it is not necessary that the vertical member be of this type. It may be any type of steel member having at least a pair of edges 14, 15. A pair of complementary brackets 16, 17 are provided for gripping the edges 14, 15. In FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 2, there is shown the outer faces of this pair of brackets. The brackets 16, 17 are preferably provided with notches 18, 18, which are merely for purposes of reducing the weight of the brackets 16, 17. The brackets 16, 17 are provided with channels 19 on their inner faces, as shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4. These channels are dimensioned to embrace the edges 14, of a vertical member 13. The brackets 16, 17 are provided with holes 20, 20, which extend through them but do not intersect with, and are offset from the vertical channels. The holes 20, 20 are on the opposite side of the notches 18, 18. On the outer faces of the brackets 16, 17, as shown in FIGURES 1, and 2, there are horizontal channels 21, which are defined at the top by the lips 22, and at the bottom by the lips 23, 23. In these channels 21, 21, the U-shaped members or channels 24, 24 are inserted. These U-shaped members 24, 24 are provided with holes (not shown) corresponding with the holes 20, in the brackets 16, 17. Through these holes, a bolt 25 is passed (see FIG. 5) and a nut 26 is arranged in threaded engagement with the bolt 25. On tightening the nut 26, the vertical channels 19, 19 are caused to be brought into seizing engagement with the edges 14 and 15; likewise, the U-shapd members 24, 24 are firmly held in the channels 21, 21. It is preferred, for added strength, that the U-shaped members 24, 24 shall be welded together at the outer ends of the said members 24, 24, or be connected together by bolts, welding, or in some other manner in the interest of greater strength.

The attachment brackets 16, 17 are simple in form, sturdy, and readily applied to an I-beam to permit horizontal support members in U-shaped channels to be rigidly attached thereto, and the support members are readily adjustable upwardly and downwardly, so that the rack may accommodate many sizes or heights of materials thereon. Furthermore, in assembling a rack with a pair of brackets of this kind, it is not necessary to slide the brackets down over the top of the vertical support 13, and even after the rack is assembled, additional horizontal channels may be applied thereto to provide additional storage space. Furthermore, the rack may be operated as a duplex rack by additional horizontal support arms extending in an opposite direction by attaching them to the opposite side of the vertical member 13. It is noted that the channels do not interfere with each other when attached to the vertical support member 13, so that the horizontal support members may be adjusted upwardly and downwardly with respect to each other on opposite sides of the vertical support 13, without any interference, the one with the other. Since standard structural components are involved with the exception of the brackets, a low cost device composed of readily obtainable parts is provided with great versatility of adjustment, size, height, width and use.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

What is claimed:

1. Clamping brackets for a rack structure comprising:

(a) a pair of right and left hand brackets adapted to be mounted on flanges of a vertical support in opposed relation;

(b) an inner and an outer face on each of the right and left hand brackets;

(c) a generally vertical channel on the opposing inner faces of each of the brackets, dimensioned to receive a generally vertical support member;

(d) a generally horizontal channel on the outer face of each of the brackets, dimensioned to embrace a horizontal support;

(e) means to connect the brackets together to seize the flanges of the vertical support.

2. lnarack structure comprising: ((1) attaching members passed through the horizontal (a) the device according to claim 1, support members and the brackets, clinching them (b) a generally vertical support member embraced together, whereby the vertical support members are by the brackets. seized by the brackets, and the horizontal support 3. In a rack structure comprising: 5 members are held in the horizontal channels, and (a) the device according to claim 1, (e) a base attached to the bottom of the vertical sup- (b) a generally vertical I-beam defining the vertical portmember.

support member, embraced by the brackets.

4. In a rack structure comprising:

(a) the device accordiing to claim 1;

(b) a pair of generally horizontal support members each engaged with the horizontal channel of one of 2,340,487

References Cited m UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/ 1944 Paquette 248-221 the brackets 2,719,692 10/1955 Gredell 243 245 A rack cqmpnsmgi 2,396,893 7/1959 Penn 243 -245 (a) the device according to claim 1; 15 3 043 290 7/1962 Smith (b) a generally vertical support member embraced by the brackets;

(0) generally horizontal support members each posi- CHANCE'LLOR HARRIS Primary Examiner tloned 1n the horizontal channels of one of the W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. brackets, 20 

1. CLAMPING BRACKETS FOR A RACK STRUCTURE COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF RIGHT AND LEFT HAND BRACKETS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON FLANGES OF A VERTICAL SUPPORT IN OPPOSED RELATION; (B) AN INNER AND AN OUTER FACE ON EACH OF THE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND BRACKETS (C) A GENERALLY VERTICAL CHANNEL ON THE OPPOSING INNER FACES OF EACH OF THE BRACKETS, DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE A GENERALLY VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBER; (D) A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL CHANNEL ON THE OUTER FACE OF EACH OF THE BRACKETS, DIMENSIONED TO EMBRACE A HORIZONTAL SUPPORT; (E) MEANS TO CONNECT THE BRACKETS TOGETHER TO SEIZE THE FLANGES OF THE VERTICAL SUPPORT. 